WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Jill and Lewis Rudolph of West Palm Beach tried multiple diets to lose weight for years.But nothing worked, until a few months ago when they noticed some friends at church were dropping pounds every week.The secret: a severely restrictive diet that's made bearable by taking a few drops a day of a lab-created hormone called HCG."I was not hungry," said Jill Rudolph. "There's something about the drops that seems to quell your appetite."It better quell your appetite. On the HCG diet, a person only eats 500 calories a day.It is compromised of mostly lean meat and vegetables and less quantity than many people eat in one meal.But the results are impressive. Six weeks of the HCG diet and Jill Rudolph lost 24 pounds. Her husband dropped two pant sizes."These are the pants I wore when I started this diet," Lewis Rudolph told WPBF 25 News' Terri Parker, holding out a baggy pair of khakis. "And as you can see, they're a lot smaller," he said, pulling out the gaping waistband.From 216 pounds to 186, Lewis Rudolph lost 30 pounds in 42 days."That's pretty amazing," said Lewis Rudolph, standing on his scale."It was exciting, and it was real motivating because they have you weigh every morning when you first wake up," added Jill Rudolph.So how does HCG help someone lose almost a pound a day and not get hungry?HCG is a hormone produced by pregnant women. It signals stored fat to release so the fetus has enough nutrients.But for a non-pregnant person, eating only 500 calories a day, the body will consume this mobilized fat for energy, resulting in weight loss. At least, that's the theory."It's a racket. It's a money-making racket," said Dr. David Vastola, a general family practitioner and internist in Palm Beach Gardens. "There's no medical basis, only anecdote."Vastola said there's no proof that HCG works any better than a placebo. It's not approved for weight loss by the Food and Drug Administration, and he thinks eating only 500 calories a day is dangerous."That is dangerously low," said Vastola. "That can put a patient in metabolic acidosis, arrhythmias, all kinds of cardiovascular problems associated with it."Conversely, WPBF 25 News has spoken with several other doctors and nutritionists who said there's no real evidence that the HCG diet is dangerous. Especially if it seems to be working."There is no data to show any bad outcomes with it or any data to show it's dangerous, no," said Dr. Mark Rosenberg, a cancer researcher and anti-aging physician in Boca Raton.Rosenberg said he's also looked at the medical studies on HCG.Doctors have prescribed the hormone since the 1930s, typically to increase testosterone in men or growth in undeveloped teenage boys. One of the initial doctors noticed those boys started losing weight."There's not a lot of studies out there to refute it or to support it," noted Rosenberg.Patients can either take the drops or inject HCG; both methods seem to work.Rosenberg said he'll occasionally prescribe the HCG diet to an overweight patient who is low risk for health problems."The only real theoretical risk out there is cancer," said Rosenberg.Rosenberg said there is a theory the hormone might, in some cases, help cancer cells grow, but it's not been proven. Rosenberg said he's not worried about the low calorie requirements because the diet is only prescribed for a few weeks."You'd be surprised how well these patients do, and we're talking temporarily, probably three weeks of 500 calories a day," said Rosenberg. "That's OK for someone who is obese. Maybe not if they're undernourished to begin with, but for most overweight people, it's fine."But Vastola said even a few weeks on this diet isn't good medicine."Taking a placental hormone and using it to lose weight doesn't make any sense to me," said Vastola, who said he treats overweight patients with lifestyle changes and other prescription drugs if necessary.Both doctors agreed on one thing: no quick weight loss is going to work in the long run if a person doesn't learn how to eat smaller, healthier portions for life."Bottom line is, racket or not, if a patient loses weight and becomes healthier for a prolonged period of time, then that's a home run," said Rosenberg.The Rudolphs said eating healthier is exactly what the HCG diet has taught them to do."Now the proof is in the pudding," said Jill Rudolph. "If we can keep this weight off, that's the question."HCG is a synthetic hormone made in a lab. It's widely available on the Internet, but doctors warn it can be risky to get it that way because a person can't be sure what he or she is buying or ingesting. They also caution that if a person decides it's safe, HCG is not a miracle drug. A person on the HCG diet still has to eat only 500 calories a day, and that takes willpower.Useful Links
HCG Master Diet Plan
Dr. David Vastola
Dr. Mark Rosenberg

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Jill and Lewis Rudolph of West Palm Beach tried multiple diets to lose weight for years.

But nothing worked, until a few months ago when they noticed some friends at church were dropping pounds every week.

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The secret: a severely restrictive diet that's made bearable by taking a few drops a day of a lab-created hormone called HCG.

"I was not hungry," said Jill Rudolph. "There's something about the drops that seems to quell your appetite."

It better quell your appetite. On the HCG diet, a person only eats 500 calories a day.

It is compromised of mostly lean meat and vegetables and less quantity than many people eat in one meal.

But the results are impressive. Six weeks of the HCG diet and Jill Rudolph lost 24 pounds. Her husband dropped two pant sizes.

"These are the pants I wore when I started this diet," Lewis Rudolph told WPBF 25 News' Terri Parker, holding out a baggy pair of khakis. "And as you can see, they're a lot smaller," he said, pulling out the gaping waistband.

From 216 pounds to 186, Lewis Rudolph lost 30 pounds in 42 days.

"That's pretty amazing," said Lewis Rudolph, standing on his scale.

"It was exciting, and it was real motivating because they have you weigh every morning when you first wake up," added Jill Rudolph.

So how does HCG help someone lose almost a pound a day and not get hungry?

HCG is a hormone produced by pregnant women. It signals stored fat to release so the fetus has enough nutrients.

But for a non-pregnant person, eating only 500 calories a day, the body will consume this mobilized fat for energy, resulting in weight loss. At least, that's the theory.

"It's a racket. It's a money-making racket," said Dr. David Vastola, a general family practitioner and internist in Palm Beach Gardens. "There's no medical basis, only anecdote."

Vastola said there's no proof that HCG works any better than a placebo. It's not approved for weight loss by the Food and Drug Administration, and he thinks eating only 500 calories a day is dangerous.

"That is dangerously low," said Vastola. "That can put a patient in metabolic acidosis, arrhythmias, all kinds of cardiovascular problems associated with it."

Conversely, WPBF 25 News has spoken with several other doctors and nutritionists who said there's no real evidence that the HCG diet is dangerous. Especially if it seems to be working.

"There is no data to show any bad outcomes with it or any data to show it's dangerous, no," said Dr. Mark Rosenberg, a cancer researcher and anti-aging physician in Boca Raton.

Rosenberg said he's also looked at the medical studies on HCG.

Doctors have prescribed the hormone since the 1930s, typically to increase testosterone in men or growth in undeveloped teenage boys. One of the initial doctors noticed those boys started losing weight.

"There's not a lot of studies out there to refute it or to support it," noted Rosenberg.

Patients can either take the drops or inject HCG; both methods seem to work.

Rosenberg said he'll occasionally prescribe the HCG diet to an overweight patient who is low risk for health problems.

"The only real theoretical risk out there is cancer," said Rosenberg.

Rosenberg said there is a theory the hormone might, in some cases, help cancer cells grow, but it's not been proven. Rosenberg said he's not worried about the low calorie requirements because the diet is only prescribed for a few weeks.

"You'd be surprised how well these patients do, and we're talking temporarily, probably three weeks of 500 calories a day," said Rosenberg. "That's OK for someone who is obese. Maybe not if they're undernourished to begin with, but for most overweight people, it's fine."

But Vastola said even a few weeks on this diet isn't good medicine.

"Taking a placental hormone and using it to lose weight doesn't make any sense to me," said Vastola, who said he treats overweight patients with lifestyle changes and other prescription drugs if necessary.

Both doctors agreed on one thing: no quick weight loss is going to work in the long run if a person doesn't learn how to eat smaller, healthier portions for life.

"Bottom line is, racket or not, if a patient loses weight and becomes healthier for a prolonged period of time, then that's a home run," said Rosenberg.

The Rudolphs said eating healthier is exactly what the HCG diet has taught them to do.

"Now the proof is in the pudding," said Jill Rudolph. "If we can keep this weight off, that's the question."

HCG is a synthetic hormone made in a lab. It's widely available on the Internet, but doctors warn it can be risky to get it that way because a person can't be sure what he or she is buying or ingesting. They also caution that if a person decides it's safe, HCG is not a miracle drug. A person on the HCG diet still has to eat only 500 calories a day, and that takes willpower.